Aerial mount.

Simple question, is it ok to mount a silver rod onto a steel post,cemented into the ground. Not sure about ground plane etc?

hi cant see a problem with that ,most people now are using fibreglass antenna's just because they dont bend and break like a lot of aluminium antenna's and the swr covers more frequencies . ive got an antron99 fixed on a scaffold pole then its secured to a concrete washing line post about 25 feet to the bottom of the antron and it works a treat think its Ray sorry if i got the name wrong but crack on and enjoy the radio 73's Mark stay safe

Rayc5 wrote:

Simple question, is it ok to mount a silver rod onto a steel post,cemented into the ground. Not sure about ground plane etc?

Yes it is, it's how I have mounted my Hustler 5BTV, although I use a 1.5" alloy pole sticking up about a foot above the ground. In the DX Engineering instructions for that antenna that said how to ground mount it.

You will need a ground plane although depending on the length of the pole you may get away with it (9ft sticking out of ground). If it's low a ground mounted antenna like mine that'll be done by as many wires as you can lay on the ground fanning out from the antenna in as much of a circle as possible. Ideally at least 16 of them, just make them as long as you can but have them coming out straight from the antenna, don't bend them. You can connect them with solder tabs up to the U bolt on the antenna bracket.

If you're doing it on grass use lawn staples to pin the wire down and tread it into the soil. In a few months you'll not see it. In the below photo of my garden there's three radials going under the fence made using black insulated wire. I challenge you to find them. One is right next to the fence post going left to right.